People v. Thomas CA2/4

BACKGROUND

We take our brief summary of the facts from the testimony at the preliminary hearing. The only witness who testified at the hearing was Los Angeles Police Officer Scott Wilhelm. On the afternoon of January 21, 2013, Officer Wilhelm and his partner responded to assist Officers Loomis and Gastelum regarding a traffic stop of a possible shooting suspect. Earlier, Officers Loomis and Gastelum were in a parking lot at 108th Street and Spring Street when they reported hearing gunshots.

1 Further undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 They drove in the direction of the gunshots, and began following a green minivan, broadcasting their location and direction of travel. The minivan drove north on Spring Street from 107th Street, turned west on 106th Street, then north on Olive Street to 104th Street, where it turned west, went under the 110 freeway, to Grand Avenue, and pulled into a driveway at 401 West 104th Street, where Officers Loomis and Gastelum conducted a traffic stop. Officer Wilhelm and his partner arrived at the location within a minute after the minivan parked. When they arrived, the two occupants of the minivan (one of whom he identified as…